Get advice from the IELTS experts

Are you wondering what skills you need for success in the IELTS Academic test? Maybe you want to know how IELTS examiners assess your level, or how to improve your band score? This course will help you find the answers, understand how to study for the test, and develop your academic English skills.

You’ll interact with experts and learners around the world. You’ll also have the chance to try authentic IELTS practice tasks and learn what skills they’re testing and how they’re marked.

IELTS is jointly owned by the British Council, IDP: IELTS Australia and Cambridge English Language Assessment.

0:11Skip to 0 minutes and 11 secondsIf you're planning to take IELTS we invite you to join our free course, 'Inside IELTS'. I want to attend a university in England so I had to do that myself. That's why I want to do IELTS. I have to use it for Thailand university and it's also really important so that I can use for overseas such as in England, in Australia or Singapore. I want to retake my IELTS and I want to use for my Master's degree maybe in Austria or Germany, I don't know.

0:45Skip to 0 minutes and 45 secondsThis course will cover all four sections of the IELTS Academic test. Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking. The first time I tried an IELTS exam the most difficult one was Reading. I will practise and it will get better. In my listening, at first it is not so good also but I have to listen to English songs. Reading and writing, especially writing because I don't like writing so much. The experts behind the test will share with you the skills being tested and give you an idea of what IELTS examiners are looking for. You'll also learn how preparing for the test will help you when you get into university, in other words, when you succeed in IELTS you also succeed in real life.

1:31Skip to 1 minute and 31 seconds I want to know how I can improve my reading because I don't have enough time. It's just like one hour but it has three parts. I need this IELTS exam because my university wants an IELTS exam from me. I want to improve myself. I'm Gad Lim from Cambridge English Language Assessment, the makers of the IELTS test. I hope you'll join us on 'Inside IELTS'. Have a good day and see you soon.

What topics will you&nbspcover?

the content of the IELTS Academic test

the skills you need in order to improve your IELTS score

the way that IELTS candidates are assessed

the range of tasks you need to complete in the IELTS test, and the skills that these tasks test

some of the skills that you need when studying at university where English is the language of instruction

When would you like to&nbspstart?

Available now

Date to be announced

What will you&nbspachieve?

By the end of the course, you'll be able to...

Explore the skills that IELTS Academic candidates need and how these are assessed

Identify your own strengths and needs in relation to IELTS Academic

Explore how preparing for IELTS can also help you develop skills that are useful in Higher Education

Assess your specific abilities in order to find ways to improve

Who is the course&nbspfor?

This course is for anyone who wants to improve their IELTS score. It is especially useful for people who want to take IELTS Academic and go to university.

We have tried to use simple English in the course as much as possible, but we recommend your English is at least level B1 (around IELTS band 4.5 or higher) to take the course.

The course is aimed at people preparing for IELTS Academic. If you are preparing for IELTS General Training, you will find that some of this course is useful for you, but not all. Of course, you are welcome to join. Speaking and Listening are the same in Academic and General Training, but Reading and Writing are different.

If you’re taking a course for free you have access to the course for its duration + 14 days, regardless of when you join. If you upgrade the course you have access for as long as the course exists on FutureLearn.